As part of the Digital Promise filmMAKER™ Challenge, students from around the country took on the task to reinvent an everyday product and make it more sustainable, accessible, or beautiful, and create a documentary video to tell the story of their process. At the culmination of the 2016-2017 Challenge, 69 student teams submitted their videos, which were viewed by a panel of judges from Digital Promise, Maker Ed, and Future Development Group.
We are excited to announce that the following submissions were selected to present their film and design at a flagship Maker Faire this year.
Rancho Minerva Middle School (Vista, CA)
Students designed an SD chip holder that will allow their school’s IT staff to load software and deploy laptops to students more efficiently. After several prototypes and iterations, they began 3D printing SD chip holders for other schools in their district.
Edmunds Middle School (Burlington, VT)
Students designed an affordable mitten that will keep the homeless population of Burlington warm in the winter. They researched and tested the heat retention properties of several available materials versus the cost of each before making their prototype.
South Fayette High School (McDonald, PA)
Students from South Fayette High School designed an app to improve the experience of shopping for groceries. It includes the ability to find information about products, receive help from supermarket staff, and instantly checkout and pay for your purchases – all from a mobile phone.
South Fayette High School (McDonald, PA)
Another group of students from South Fayette High School designed a pill dispenser that secures with a biometric lock and only dispenses the correct dosages when activated. This device could help to prevent prescription drug overdoses by children and others.
The filmMAKER Challenge gives teachers the opportunity to apply design thinking and maker learning in a fun and engaging project, while giving students the opportunity to learn real-world skills. This project would not be possible without the support of Chevron. To host a filmMAKER Challenge at your school, check out our filmMAKER Challenge Guide.
